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SALT LAKE CITY — A California lawsuit filed Dec. 26 details eight alleged instances of Amazon Ring security devices being hacked by strangers who taunted children, yelled racist obscenities or threatened to kill device owners via the two-way speaker system. John Baker Orange from Jefferson County Alabama, who filed the class action suit against the California-based company, claims his three children, ages 7, 9 and 10 were playing basketball in their driveway when a voice came over the Ring camera installed over the garage. The unknown voice commented on the kids’ basketball game and encouraged them “to get closer to the camera,” according to the lawsuit. While gadgets like Ring cameras are designed to make homes safer, people like Orange say they put families at risk. “Ring does not fulfill its core promise of providing privacy and security for its customers,” reads the lawsuit, which comes amid increasing concern over tech companies like Google, Apple and Amazon listening in on recordings from home assistant devices and collecting personal data from the ever-expanding “Internet of Things,” which includes Wi-Fi enabled lightbulbs, smart refrigerators and even monitors that tell you when to water your plants. Ring is a home security company that was acquired by Amazon in 2018 and sells devices that range from a $34 flood alarm to a $499 video doorbell that lets users “see, hear and speak to visitors” from anywhere. A Ring spokesperson said in a statement to the Deseret News that the company does not comment on legal matters. “Customer trust is important to us and we take the security of our devices seriously,” the spokesperson said. Customers like Grant Allen, a 35-year-old urban planner who lives in Salt Lake City, say their Ring devices make them feel more secure. Allen installed an outdoor security camera after a shed behind his home was broken into for the third time in five years. He hopes that if another break-in occurs, the footage will help identify the culprit. While Allen is aware of recent hacking cases, he feels confident in owning a Ring device because he has followed advice from cybersecurity experts, like using a strong, unique password and enabling two-factor authentication, which requires more than one action to log into an account. “There is still the risk,” said Allen. “I suppose it’s a risk I am willing to take for the idea of feeling more secure.” Who is responsible? In December, Ashley LeMay from DeSoto County, Mississippi, shared footage with CNN affiliate WMC that showed an unknown voice taunting her 8-year-old daughter via a Ring device set up to monitor the girl’s bedroom. LeMay initially installed the camera and two-way speaker system so she could check in on and even talk to her kids while she was away from home, according to WMC. But someone hacked LeMay’s account so they were able to see, hear and talk to the kids as well. “I’m Santa Claus. Don’t you want to be my best friend?” the voice says to the
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